Low Cost Pets To Own

Looking for a low cost and low maintenance pet?

Dogs, cats and other popular house pets can be a lot of work, and they can bring significant financial obligations as well. If you don’t have a lot of extra time to devote to a pet, or if you are not looking to spend a lot of money, you might want to consider one of these fun but low cost pet options.

Here are a few in-expensive pets to own!

Hermit Crabs

These fun little crustaceans are relatively simple to care for.

They eat simple Hermit Crab Pellets from a pet store (usually just $1 or $2)

A small plastic or glass aquarium is sufficient. Just add a little gravel to the bottom and keep a small dish of water with a sponge in it.

Other considerations: Hermit Crabs will outgrow their shells from time to time so you will need to provide them with one that is slightly larger than the one it had before.

Goldfish

Contrary to popular belief, Goldfish are actually intelligent creatures with a potentially long life span.

You will want a large aquarium (a rule of thumb is roughly 2 gallons for every inch of fish – so, if you have a 2 inch goldfish and a 1 inch goldfish you will want at least 6 gallons of water)

Fish pellets or flacks are just a few dollars per container, and the fish themselves are normally just a few dollars. If you buy “Feeder Fish” they can be just a fe cents each. However I would suggest buying the “Fancy” goldfish, because they tend to be less prone to disease and live longer.

Guinea Pigs and Hamsters

The cost of Hamster and Guinea pig ownership is considerably higher than a goldfish or Hermit crab, but significantly less than a Dog or cat. They are also a little more fun to interact with.

Caution – Hamsters and Guinea pigs can require an occasional visit to the vet. They can also be a little bit stinky!

Bugs

This might just be the cheapest pet option of all!

You can catch bugs in your own backyard and keep them in a jar. OR you can raise insects as pets in an ant farm. Farm kits can be purchased for around $20. Once you have the farm all set up it really does not require much maintenance.